There have been few finer knocks in the fourth innings to win a Test match than that of the South Africa captain, Graeme Smith, at Edgbaston on Saturday. Faced with a wearing pitch - taking spin by now - and with the added problem of bowlers' rough outside his off stump and potential problems with the sightscreen at one end, his determination to succeed transcended anything that England could throw at him.

Gordon Greenidge once humiliated England at Lord's with an unbeaten 202 and Arthur Morris (182), Don Bradman and Mark Butcher (173 not out apiece) and Seymour Nurse (168) also exceeded Smith's unbeaten 154, but for sheer bloodymindedness none can outrank him. He was superb. Smith it was, do not forget, who led his side out of the wilderness at Lord's with a century. What a leader.

By his example, and that of his lieutenant Mark Boucher, he demonstrated to England the level of persistence that is necessary to succeed when the odds are stacked against. He had it within his power to do something remarkable for his side and his country and he did so. It was a contrast to the man who will face him as captain of England on Thursday, for Kevin Pietersen too had it within his grasp to transform and win a game for his country, but failed.

It would be unfair to pillory Pietersen unduly for the shot that saw him gone for 94 when another hour from him would probably have sealed the game for England. Paul Collingwood's courage was lauded when he tried, successfully, to reach a century in similarly flamboyant manner. But maybe the responsibility of captaincy will tone down the adrenaline and take Pietersen to greater heights without losing the essence of what makes him a special batsman.

Michael Vaughan tried all the tricks at his disposal but was thwarted by the excellence of Smith and the inadequacies of his attack. Andrew Flintoff battled heroically, at odds with the notion that he should be nursed through his bowling career. By the end he was on his knees with exhaustion. Maybe he could have tried to utilise more the bewildering facility he alone appeared to have of making the ball disappear after delivery, apparently above the sightscreen. Why him alone, though, and why did it affect only three right-handers and not, say, Smith, who was there longer than any without trouble? Somewhere in Flintoff's wrist-flick action lies the answer but it has eluded all rational analysis.

Beyond him there was little to support Vaughan's view that they should have disposed of South Africa for 200. Jimmy Anderson streaked in but lacked the cutting edge needed and Ryan Sidebottom must stand culpable, with the England and Wales Cricket Board's medical staff, for going into a match while clearly not fit. That situation was supposed to have disappeared with the advent of a team doctor. One hopes the lure of possible millions to be earned is not going to be an inducement to players to disguise injury.

The biggest disappointment was Monty Panesar, who was in a position, on a turning pitch, to win a match for England and failed miserably. Maybe the level of expectation was too high for him and he froze. There was certainly turn, more than enough for a quality spinner to work with, but Smith played him sensibly, nullifying turn from the rough, riding his luck and collecting relentlessly on the angle through the on side. Scarcely at all did Panesar explore a line from around the wicket, straightening the ball down the line of the stumps, as all top spinners would have done. To be outbowled by Paul Harris, no mug but with nothing like the same potential, is an indictment.